Improvement in work-benches



'UNITED STATES GEoEGE RATHBUN, or sEDAN, xANsAs.

IMPROVEM ENT IN WORK-BENCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 187,555, dated February20; 1577; application tiled March 24, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE M. RATHBUN, ofSedan, in the county of Chautauqua, and State of Kansas, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Work-Benches; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, vand exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l represents a side view of the bench.Fig. 2 is an vend view, and Fig. 3 is a view of the under side, -showingthe operating1 devices.

A represents the,l jaw ofthe vise, which is attached to the bench by anextension-bar, B. This bar passes through a mortise in the jaw A,'andalso through one ofthe legs of the bench as far'as is required to secureregular movements. The jaw A playsloosely on the bar, being held to itsplace by a pin, C, which passes through the bar at its head and rests instaples or sockets in the jaw.

The bar B may be made to pass over one or two small wheels, so as tolessen the friction andpermit its moving forward with ease.

A mortise in the center of. the extensionbar B extends from within oneof the legs of the bench, when the jaw is pressed to the bench, as fartoward the end of the bar as. is necessary to give sufcient movement tohold asthick or as thin material as desired. One or more Wedges, E, areplaced in this mortise, the first one, or one nearest the leg of thebench, being tapered sufliciently so that :it will not slip when pressedin operating the vise.

. A slide, F, is placed in the mortise G in'the front side of the bench,with a bar or rod through or behind it, holding it firmly to its place;but allowing it to move endwise in the mcrtise. The point of Y the wedgeE is attached to this slide, so that when the slide is moved it carriesthe wedge with it. A lever, H, attached to the under side of the plankwhich forms the top of the bench, passes down through the slide F, andfar enough below, so that it may be easily moved with the hand or foot.

A spring, I, is placed on the back of one of the front legs of thebench, and is attached to theextension-bar B by a string or strap,

so las to draw or press the bar forward as fast as the wedge E isloosened.

` In a mortise in the lower end of the jaw A a cam-lever, J, is placedwith a pivot-pin holding it near the center of the mort-ise. This leveris curved enough to extend toward one of the front legs of the bench,when the outer end of it is raised to its highest extent but whenpressed to the floor it will extend from two to four inches beyond theface of lrhe jaw.

At the foot of the bench is placed a bar, K, with a hat face of sucientsize, for the lever J to Work upon. Ahis bar passes back through one ofthe legs of the bench as far as is desired to hold it steady, and may beextended to keep the jaw A in a proper positionwhile working very thickmaterial, by

placing a pin through it in front of the leg of the bench.

Ihe figures l, 2, 3, 8vo., are placed along the slide-mortise Gr toindicate the place where the Amark on the slide should stop whileworking lumber of the thickness indicated by the ligure.

rIhe extension-bar B and the bar K may be held to their placesbyperpendicular slats L, or by any other suitable means.

When the vise is in prcper order for work, moveV the mark on the slide Fto the figure desired by means of the lever H; then place the foot underthe lever J and raise it, at the same time pressing the bottom of thejawtoward one of the front legs ofthe bench; then place the plank in thevise, pnt the foot on the lever J, and press it to the floor, thusfastening the plank. To loosen the plank, place the foot under the leverand raise it.

I .am aware that. a vise has, to a very limited extent, been used with afoot-lever I similar to the one here described, and a bar extendingforward from one ofthe legs ofthe bench through the jaw, with one wedgein front; but the action of that vise was so imperfect that it failed tobe of value. In my invention the bar being fastened in the jaw, andextending beneath the bench, instead ot' being in an inverted position,renders it more I, all constructed and arranged substantially easilyadjustable, and secures important adas and for the purpose set forth.Vantages.

I Claim GEORGE M. RATHBUN. In a Work-bench the combination of theWitnesses: i

jaw A, extension-bar B, Wedge E, moving de JOAB GAVINESS,

vices H G, foot-bar K, and retracting-spring HIBAM CABLE.

